Ink Business Unlimited vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited: Credit card showdown

Chase offers a full lineup of rewards credit cards, including the Sapphire and Freedom card families for consumers and the Ink Business family for business owners. However, there is some overlap in the earning structures and benefits offered by these cards.

One example is the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. Both offer a minimum of 1.5% cash back on all spending, making them excellent no-annual-fee cards for everyday expenses that don’t fall under other bonus categories.

If you’re considering these two cards, make sure you are under Chase’s 5/24 rule and that you are eligible for a business card.

Let’s take a deeper look at each card offer to see which is more valuable.

Currently, new Ink Business Unlimited cardholders can earn $900 cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Meanwhile, new Freedom Unlimited cardholders can earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything they buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year), worth up to $300 cash back.

Winner: Ink Business Unlimited. Its welcome offer is more valuable.

Related: The best time to apply for these popular Chase credit cards based on offer history

The Ink Business Unlimited, unsurprisingly, doesn’t offer as many perks as other cards with higher annual fees. Most notably, you won’t enjoy cellphone protection or trip cancellation/interruption insurance.

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However, you will receive purchase protection, an auto rental collision damage waiver, a yearlong warranty extension on select purchases and employee cards at no additional cost.

The Freedom Unlimited offers some solid perks like rental car protection, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, roadside dispatch, extended warranty protection and purchase protection. If you lack another card with more robust benefits, the Freedom Unlimited provides decent coverage for a card with no annual fee.

Winner: Freedom Unlimited. Since the Freedom Unlimited offers trip cancellation and interruption insurance, it edges out the Ink Business Unlimited.

The Ink Business Unlimited offers a 5% back on Lyft rides through March 2025 and a straightforward 1.5% cash back on all other purchases without rotating or bonus categories.

The Freedom Unlimited offers 5% back on travel booked through Chase Travel, 3% back on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services), 3% back at drugstores and 1.5% back on all other purchases.

Winner: Freedom Unlimited. Its earnings rates are superior since it has bonus categories on top of offering 1.5% back on non-bonused spending.

Your rewards earned through both of these Chase cards can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, travel or for goods and services offered through Chase’s rewards program. If you elect to redeem for cash back, you can get your money as a statement credit, as a mailed check or through an electronic deposit.

None of those options are quite as lucrative as converting your cash back to Chase points (more on that in the next section), but they’ll get the job done. If you want to keep things simple, I recommend redeeming your rewards for cash back over the other options available.

Winner: Tie. These cards offer the same redemption options.

By transferring your earned rewards from either of these cards to a full-fledged Ultimate Rewards personal or business card like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can boost your redemption rate to an effective return of at least 3%, based on TPG’s October 2024 valuations.

Once the points are transferred to an Ultimate Rewards account, you can be like TPG credit cards editor Emily Thompson and redeem them with valuable airline and hotel partners.

Or, you can book travel directly through Chase Travel at a fixed value per point (1.5 cents with the Chase Sapphire Reserve or 1.25 cents with the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred).

If you’re willing to go through the extra steps and you have the right card on hand, I recommend transferring your Freedom Unlimited or Ink Business Unlimited rewards to an Ultimate Rewards-earning account.

Winner: Tie. The options here are identical as well.

Generally speaking, the Freedom Unlimited is the better choice for most due to its better earnings structure and great benefits. However, if you’re looking for a starter business card, I recommend considering the Ink Business Unlimited. Receiving a flat 1.5% back on all purchases (except Lyft through 2025) is still solid.

If you already have Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards, pairing them with the Freedom Unlimited or Ink Business Unlimited is an excellent way to take advantage of the rewards you’ll earn. Both beginners and experts can use either of these cards to maximize value.

To learn more, read our full reviews of the Ink Business Unlimited and Chase Freedom Unlimited.

Apply here: Ink Business Unlimited

Apply here: Chase Freedom Unlimited

Related: Chase Freedom Flex vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited comparison